Bloomberg

Lead Story

The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran was severely tested this weekend by tit-for-tat strikes, including an attack on a tanker carrying Qatari crude that temporarily spiked oil prices and hampered shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,. However, US equity futures are climbing on fresh reports that both sides have stepped back from hostilities and agreed to halt strikes to resume peace talks in Qatar, easing immediate fears of a broader Middle East conflict,,,.

Markets & Economics

• Hawkish Fed Throws Down Challenge for Emerging-Market Bond Rally: Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh has effectively spoiled the emerging-market bond rally, dampening investor hopes that falling global energy prices would offer extended relief for EM assets.
• Sovereign Funds Pivot Further to Private Assets in Risky Markets: The world’s largest public investors are planning to shift more capital away from traditional stocks and bonds into less liquid, private assets to aggressively hedge against rising market risks,.
• Japan Policy Draft Backs ‘Appropriate’ Monetary Policy: The Japanese government is set to call for “appropriate” monetary management in its basic policy guidelines, a move widely interpreted as a political effort to dissuade the Bank of Japan from executing further interest rate hikes,.
• Australia’s Inflation Expected to Peak at 4.25%, Treasurer Says: Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced that Australian headline inflation will peak mid-year at 4.25%, coming in lower than previously forecast as falling oil prices help alleviate domestic inflationary pressures,.

Business & Industries

• Williams Said to Near $5.5 Billion Deal for Momentum Midstream: Natural gas pipeline operator Williams Cos. is in advanced negotiations to acquire rival Momentum Midstream for approximately $5.5 billion, which would mark one of its largest acquisitions to date,,,.
• S. Korea to Unveil ‘Three Mega Projects’ With Samsung, SK Group: South Korea will unveil a sweeping national strategy aimed at driving domestic growth, anchored by major private investment commitments from tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK Group,,,.
• Israel Weighs US IPO for Major State-Owned Defense Firms: Israel is exploring US public listings for defense heavyweights Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. to bypass stricter local market disclosure obligations.
• OpenAI Hires Uber’s Prabhjeet Singh to Lead India Operations: Deepening its strategic footprint in a rapidly expanding market, OpenAI has appointed former Uber India and South Asia President Prabhjeet Singh as its managing director for the country,.

Policy & World

• Supreme Court Leaves Trump’s Fed, Citizenship Gambits for Last: The US Supreme Court is expected to issue highly anticipated end-of-term rulings this week on President Donald Trump’s attempts to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and restrict automatic birthright citizenship,,.
• Venezuela’s Machado Plans Quick Return Amid Quake Response: Opposition leader María Corina Machado is planning an imminent return to Venezuela, threatening to reshape the political landscape as acting President Delcy Rodríguez struggles to manage the nation’s worst natural disaster in decades,,.
• Burnham’s Rise Revives Talk of War Bonds to Fund the UK Military: In a bold push for the prime ministership, Andy Burnham is pledging massive devolution of power and floating unconventional policies, including a proposal to issue war bonds to fund the British military,,,.
• Nigeria Antitrust Body Warns Fuel Prices Not Falling Fast Enough: The country’s antitrust commission warned of a potential crackdown, stating pump prices aren’t falling in line with the sharp decline in global oil, a direct challenge to a market currently dominated by Africa’s richest person,,,,.

Opinion & Analysis

• Bitcoin Is Boring. Bring on AI, Space and JGB Tokens: It is time to move past Bitcoin and explore the broader tokenization of real-world assets, shifting the market’s focus to virtual representations of US Treasuries, corporate bonds, and commodities.
• India’s AI Dream Is Getting Lost in Translation: Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sweeping global declarations to “democratize” artificial intelligence for the Global South, India’s actual execution and domestic deployment are struggling to match the soaring rhetoric.